Biotechnology

Introduction

Biotechnologies, they are engineered to make our lives a little easier. The idea of them is to help us feed more people, provide disease treatments and more.

What Does in Involve?

Well, there's quite a few different biotechnologies. They include, but not limited to:

• Genetically modified crops
• Mycoproteins - the use of mushrooms for food
• Using genetically modified bacteria to make insulin

These are some examples of how biotechnology is evolving to provide what we need.

Golden rice is a rice that is rich in Vitamin A. This addresses deficiencies in developing countries. It is a rice that is genetically engineered to be rich in this vitamin.

Genetic Modification

Genetic modification is the process of removing traits or characteristics from one plant that are good (for example; how many grains of wheat are on each ear) and placing them on to another strain of the plant. This is all done under the microscope.

A lot of research goes into GM crops to ensure that they have a higher yield, resistance to some pathogens, and other attributes to make them be better for us and enable us to have the most out of them. Some people are against GM crops due to ethical reasons.

Mycoprotein & Fungus

When you look in a forested area, or in your garden even, you might find mushrooms. Great. These mushrooms lay down a large area underground (just a few inches) of filamented roots that are called a mycelium. This network of roots connect to each other. They can be used to create the mycoprotein.

Fusarium patch, caused by the fungus Microdochium nivale (formerly Fusarium nivale), is one of the most damaging diseases of turf grasses. It is often difficult to control, as there are no fungicides that the amateur gardener can use to combat it.

Quite often, it is found after snowfall has melted away, and looks like a yellowish to dark brown dying grass, in sizes of around 30cm (12 inches) in diameter.

How Do These Link with Biotechnology?

When we make changes any plant or animal, we are making biotechnologies. The use of mycoproteins in foods, or changing the values of genetic codes in agricultural foods to provide a higher yield enable us to ensure food security (see also Food Security in this section) for everyone.

There are also disadvantages to this. And ethical issues around animal welfare, being unnatural (in terms of genetic modification) and more. There are constant debates and talking points on this issue as to whether it is right or humane.